Music Theory Guide

Notes

Music uses just 7 letter names: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. After G, the pattern repeats starting from A again. These are called natural notes.

Sharps & Flats

Between most natural notes, there are additional notes:

• Sharp (#) raises a note by one half step (e.g., C# is between C and D)
• Flat (♭) lowers a note by one half step (e.g., D♭ is between C and D)
• C# and D♭ are the same pitch — they're called enharmonic equivalents

Note: There's no sharp/flat between B-C and E-F (they're already a half step apart). Learn more in the Note Reading Tutorial.

Intervals

An interval is the distance between two notes.

For song-based references and detailed listening tips, see the Interval Training Tutorial.

Chords

A chord is three or more notes played together.

The Four Basic Triads

Seventh Chords

Adding a 4th note (a 7th above the root) creates richer harmonies used in jazz, pop, and classical music:

• Major 7th (maj7) — Dreamy, sophisticated
• Minor 7th (m7) — Mellow, jazzy
• Dominant 7th (7) — Bluesy, wants to resolve
• Diminished 7th (dim7) — Very tense, dramatic

Learn play styles, formulas, and tips in the Chord Identification Tutorial. Try building chords on the Synthesizer to hear how intervals combine.

Scales

A scale is a sequence of notes in ascending or descending order.

Major Scale

The most common scale in Western music. It follows the pattern: W-W-H-W-W-W-H (W = whole step, H = half step)

Example: C Major = C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C

Minor Scales

Minor scales have a darker, more melancholic sound:

• Natural Minor — W-H-W-W-H-W-W
• Harmonic Minor — Raised 7th note for a dramatic sound
• Melodic Minor — Different ascending and descending

Other Important Scales

• Pentatonic — 5-note scale, very versatile
• Blues Scale — Pentatonic + "blue note"
• Chromatic — All 12 notes

For step formulas and listening tips, see the Scale Identification Tutorial.

Tutorials & Resources

Dive deeper into each topic with our step-by-step tutorials:

• Note Reading Tutorial — Learn to read treble and bass clef staves from scratch.
• Interval Training Tutorial — Hear the distance between notes with song references.
• Chord Identification Tutorial — Understand how triads and seventh chords are built and sound.
• Scale Identification Tutorial — Learn scale step patterns and their moods.
• Ear Training Tutorial — Develop pitch recognition skills by sound alone.
• Synthesizer Tutorial — Explore concepts hands-on with the web keyboard.
• Metronome Tutorial — Build rhythm and timing with our metronome tool.

Also check out our Tips for effective learning strategies, our FAQ for common questions, and our Curriculum for a structured learning path.